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Rent a free DS on the bullet train
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/travel_places/Japan_paving_the_way_for_travel_once_again'; Want to make sure you don't look like too much of a tourist in Japan? Make sure you bring a DS on the train! However, if you forget yours or need a DS for a family member, JR East is starting a new program that will serve your needs. From February 14th through March 28th, the company will make 20 systems per day available for free loan to Shinkansen (bullet train) passengers on the Hiroshima/Tokyo route.The lucky passengers will be able to select two games along with the DS, and keep them all for three days. The goal is apparently to regain some marketshare from airlines, who offer faster fares. It sounds perfect to us -- if you've got a DS to play, the extra captive time becomes a positive.
WiFi trial comes to San Francisco's BART trains
Merely hours after hearing that a contactless payment trial was going live on San Francisco's BART, along comes word that a test of a slightly different nature was also underway on the very same public transportation system. Reportedly, a recent Wi-Fi Rail installation on a select stretch of track proved that WiFi could be delivered to passengers at around 15Mbps -- up and down -- and if things go smoothly, the firm hopes to get its technology onto all sorts of rail systems across the globe. Unfortunately, there doesn't look to be any firm plans for the trial to stick on BART, but who knows, keep on refreshing that nearby network list on the morning commute and you might just get lucky.
WiFi coming to Massachusetts commuter trains
It's coming to planes, so it was bound to make its way onto trains. According to a report, a 45-mile commuter railroad line in Massachusetts is about to get a WiFi upgrade, bringing wireless connections to more than 18,000 passengers across 17 stations. Utilizing Sprint's EV-DO service, this will be the largest deployment of train-based WiFi outside of Europe and will bring access to 45 coach cars in the line. "There is not one commuter rail system in the country that has this right now," said Kris Erickson, MBTA deputy chief of staff, adding, "We know there are going to be some technical glitches, but we want to get in there and test it in a real environment and get a much better idea how to do it." The plan is to eventually bless all 13 commuter lines in Massachusetts with wireless capabilities, thus allowing networked games of Sid Meier's Railroads! to actually be played while on a railroad.[Via Wi-Fi Networking News]
Iwata: Wi-Fi to get expanded this year
Nintendo head honcho Satoru Iwata recently conducted an interview where his comments regarding Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connect were pretty darn interesting. While the dreamer in us was hoping for a retooling of the useless Friend Code system, such is not the case. What Iwata hopes to do is expand how the DS is used to access information, such as possibly downloading surrounding map data after getting off of a train. The idea of being able to do things such as this with your DS is something we definitely can get down with, but we wonder about the execution. The homebrew community can definitely come up with applications to cater to these needs, but an official Nintendo solution, a kind of "all-in-one" thing would be great. Get on it Nintendo, we need more excuses to carry our DS everywhere.[Via Nintendic]
Man follows GPS directions onto train tracks, into dummy hall of fame
Once again proving that "people be stupid," a Bedford Hills, New York man allowed his GPS to navigate him onto train tracks... while a train was approaching. Entering a long line of folks like Cherry Tree Guy and the Narrow Lane Invader, this mentat in question apparently followed directions to "turn right" onto a set of tracks, which he then inexplicably became stuck on. Upon noticing the speeding locomotive heading towards his car, the man jumped out of the vehicle and tried to warn the engineer by waving his arms frantically -- to no avail. The train slammed into the truck at 60 MPH and pushed the vehicle more than 100-feet, damaging 250-feet of track. The man was unharmed, though we understand his ego has filed for divorce.[Thanks, Dr. Mark]
Japan gets official on plans and details for world's fastest maglev
We'd already heard about Central Japan Railway Company's not-so-near-term intentions to deploy a speedy new maglev system in the country, but it looks like it's just now getting official with things, and it's still promising to have it up and running no sooner than 2025. By then, there should be 180 miles of track stretching from Tokyo to central Japan, which'll accommodate a maglev train capable of topping out at 310 miles per hour, apparently making it the world's fastest. That, as you might have guessed, comes at a fairly hefty cost -- $44.7 billion, to be specific -- which makes some similar, but decidedly less speedy systems pale in comparison. As The Register points out, however, while Japan's train will be the fastest maglev system, it won't quite keep up with the fastest conventional trains around, or whatever else might be around in the year 2025.[Photo courtesy of FYS]
Three carriers now offering service on Boston's subway
It seems that one of the last few cellphone-proof havens in the world is giving in at a fairly brisk pace now, with New York most notably committing to adding phone service in train stations. After a couple of aborted attempts in years past, Boston's T has now signed up to do the same with AT&T lighting up service in four stations this week (Verizon and T-Mobile did the same earlier this month). Though your call's currently going to drop as soon as the train leaves the station, the plan is to eventually blanket tunnels and other stations -- assuming carriers see that customers are using the service and are willing to foot the bill. The transit authority has wisely already put up signs in trains encouraging folks to keep calls quiet and quick, though with any luck, the racket of the trains and the crowds will limit most usage to data and texting anyhow.[Via textually.org and ITBusinessEdge]
JR Tokai plans maglev railway for Japan, won't open until 2025
So here's the good news: Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tokai) has announced its intentions to construct a swank maglev railway in Japan. The bad news? It's not scheduled to open until 2025. Reportedly, JR Tokai will be coughing up around ¥5.1 trillion ($44 billion, give or take a few mil) of its own change to build the system that will stretch between the "Tokyo metropolitan area and the Chukyo region, with Nagoya at the center." Of course, we're all going to be cruising around in personal flying saucers in a decade anyway, so we wouldn't be too worried about the wait.[Image courtesy of FYS]
Train Training -- for real this time
The last train-related training software we saw was marred by a bunch of weird dating-sim nonsense. It was only a matter of time until another, more purely train-oriented educational game came along. A matter of two days, to be more precise. The latest train-training game from Taito couldn't be less dating-oriented.Tetsudou Zeminaru JR-hen (JR Railroad Seminar) is a program designed to teach you about Japan Rail's trains and railroads. It contains over 1500 quiz questions, along with a huge database of information about the trains, as well as an encyclopedic glossary of railway-related terms. You know, just in case you accidentally bought this game but weren't insane about trains.
Germany gearing up for maglev railway
While folks living near Shanghai are already enjoying the luxuries of a maglev (magnetic levitation) railway, Germany is getting set to build a similar line to shuttle citizens from Munich's city center to its airport. The €1.85 billion ($2.61 billion) project is finally on track to become a reality after securing the necessary funding, and it should be able to whisk travelers around at nearly 310 miles-per-hour when it's complete. Sadly, there's no word as to when the Munich service will launch, but at least we're moving in the right direction, eh?[Via Slashdot]
Promotional Consideration: Underground Brain Training
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.Those of you lucky enough to live in a city with a rapid transit system have likely seen at least one ad for a handheld game during your commutes. After all, what better audience to advertise a portable title to than people who're trapped in a high-speed steel car full of strangers while they wait to be ferried from one spot to another? In honor of Brain Age 2's release in the states last week, we'll be looking at a few ads we found for Nintendo's educational software that've appeared in transit stations in countries like Canada and France. Join us past the post break for this week's edition of Promotional Consideration.
Teenager hit by train whilst texting, somehow survives
Granted, this isn't the first run-in we've seen involving trains and an SMS-minded individual, but the former story certainly didn't involve a train coming into contact with a human. This time, however, an 18-year old Ohio resident managed to get carted away from a devastating collision after being struck by an oncoming locomotive. The kid apparently waited for one train to pass, but rather than double-checking for anything coming in the opposite direction, he simply forged ahead. Consequently, he was thrown 50-feet and knocked unconscious mid-sentence, but is thankfully recovering in a Cincinnati hospital.[Via Switched]
GPS system tracks Caltrain delays to a T
While indulging in WiMAX whilst shuttling about on a Caltrain connection sure is nice, knowing precisely when your ride will or won't arrive can probably be a bit more influential in the grand scheme of things. Thankfully for those who rely on the rail service for daily transport, the large digital message boards at Caltrain stations will soon be relaying information directly from GPS trackers, thus informing to-be riders when to prepare for pick up (or when to hail a cab). Of course, the board still has to give the proverbial green light to the $3.6 million project, but if all goes as planned, the implementation should be complete by the end of next year.[Via The GPS Insider]
Yumekobo's Yamanote alarm clock shows train schedules
You know what they say about Japanese trains being so reliable you can set a clock to it? Ironically enough, Yumekobo's Yamanote alarm clock does just that, and while we're sure the vivid green color scheme isn't for everyone, its features (feature?) are what counts. Apparently, the clock communicates via radio with the train station, and the train symbols surrounding the hands correspond to where a given train is located at a certain point in time. Additionally, it sports built-in chimes and melodies to match those played in the actual station, and of course, can wake you up at a set time so you don't miss your morning ride to work. Not a bad device to keep around for ¥7,980 ($66), and in case you're still a bit stumped on how this thing actually operates, check out a web-based demonstration here.[Via Gearfuse]
Another Brit puts complete faith in GPS system, nearly perishes
Alright Britain, we've given you quite enough passes on this whole "blind faith in GPS" thing, but now we're going to need an explanation. In yet another case of a British individual nearly losing their life thanks to a complete and utter lack of common sense, a 20-year old Birmingham University student was following a GPS' directions to Carmarthenshire for the first time, only to have her vehicle destroyed by a speeding train while she watched. Oddly enough, the dame followed the route onto an "unmarked" (saywah?) railroad crossing, but rather than actually contemplating the situation, she proceeded to lift the nearest gate, drive her vehicle squarely onto the tracks, and then went to lift the far gate in order to cross what she reportedly thought was "a normal farmers' gate." In the meantime, a train made its way in her direction, and while she admitted that she considered getting back into the vehicle in an attempt to move it, thankfully she didn't follow through on any more unbelievably bad decisions. Needless to say, the car was trashed along with the GPS, but perhaps the most comical part is the fact that the lady has vowed to never use a navigation system again in protest for it nearly killing her -- we'd suggest staying off the roads altogether.[Via El Reg]
A Wii peripheral you may not know about
For us, the only thing that we've seen plug into the Wiimote (aside from the good old nunchuk, of course) is the Classic Controller. That's changed now, as is documented in the embedded video of Taito's Densha de Go! Shinkansen EX: Sanyou Shinkansen Hen. Besides being one of the most difficult names to pronounce that we've ever seen for a game, it's a train simulation title that .. well, we'll just let you see for yourself, past the break.[Via Siliconera]
Lego-built "self tracker" train does things at its own pace
Got an immorally excessive amount of free time, and a good helping of patience to boot? Then peep the video after the break. We fell asleep a full three times watching the 1:44 video of David Wegmuller's Lego "self tracker," but that doesn't mean we don't recommend you give it a look yourself. The machine is basically a souped-up "train," which can place its own track, Wallace & Gromit style. The sluggish bot rolls onto a freshly lain track piece, and then turns to grab the one behind and swing it around in front. We're impressed greatly by the total lack of utility and all-around foolishness / ingenuity of the project, and can't wait to see what David brews up next.
Train your Japanese-writing brain in minutes a day!
Kana DS won't teach you how to translate Famitsu magazine scans for your favorite games, but it will help you strengthen your hiragana and katakana skills. Think of the homebrew application as Brain Age for Japanese charsets, minus the floating, decapitated head. An alpha release of the project has been posted, demonstrating its "number sorting" mini-game. The only other implemented feature is a character reference mode, but we can already see a lot of potential for this polished application. Developer Julio Gorgé plans to include handwriting recognition, progress tracking, and difficulty scaling in future builds.It might not be as mind-blowing as Kanji Ken, but few games are. Check past the post break for a preview video of Kana DS. [Via DCEmu]
French train breaks rail speed record
While the majority of world speed records we cover involve things like transistors, data transmission, and even the occasional text messaging attempt, we're not ones to pass up a good old fashion land speed record, which France's Alstom Technologies thankfully provided today. After months of working up to it, the company finally sent its V150 passenger train screaming through the French countryside, ultimately topping out at a breakneck speed of 574.8 kilometers per hour, or about 357 mph, easily besting the previous rail speed record of 320 mph. While it'll no doubt only make you jealous of not being on board (or at least nearby), you can check out a video of the record-setting attempt at the link below.[Thanks, Antoine G]
More English Training helps you order a cheeseburger
The sequel to English Training: Have Fun Improving Your Skills -- also known as Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Zuke in Japan -- has a new commercial demonstrating its usefulness. The television spot shows a Japanese woman attempting to order lunch at an American fast food restaurant, only to find her effort stymied by the language barrier. The resulting burger is enough to leave everyone's mouths agape.Set to hit Japanese stores later this week, More English Training is filled to the brim with over 400 "conversation situations" that will help users with everyday tasks like phone calls and customer/clerk dialogue. As the non-game's lighthearted commercial can attest, a little training can go a long way in making sure that your cheeseburger doesn't have any avocado in it.